Skyward Spirits
by The Silent Crescendo
Summary: All Skylar Marie Justice wanted was to be accepted. She never was. She travels to New York City in order to start a new life with her music, to find who she really is. And along her way to stardom, she falls for an unexpected turtle.
1. Hallelujah

Welcome to my new story! I have decided to start another story, or rather a series of stories. Hope you enjoy it!

Skyward Spirits

Chapter 1: Hallelujah 

" I heard there was a secret cord David played and it pleased the Lord, but you don't really care for music do ya?" – Jason Castro from his song "Hallelujah"

-:-

"Well here you are Ms. Justice, it's the finest apartment we have. It is two stories, has four bedrooms, a full bath, a nice view of the city downstairs, and upstairs is still pretty empty. The last occupant didn't really use the second floor. All this apartment needs is a little bit of personality, and I'm sure will provide it. It's all yours!"

Skylar Marie Justice played her bags down and looked all around the large apartment. " Do you know of any good instrument stores in this area?" She asked the lady who had showed her to her apartment.

"I was warned about you and your music by your brother. Yes there is a music store just down the street. I also heard you like antiques. There is an antique shop just across the street. Some other stores are the 24 hours grocery store and a bookstore near by as well. Also, the movers will be here in a few short hours and they will help you put all your things together."

" Thank you Mrs…I don't believe I ever caught your name." Skylar grinned nervously.

"Oh don't worry about it dear, you can call me Mrs. Jean or Jean."

"Well thank you Jean. For everything." Skylar said gesturing to the apartment.

"Don't thank me, your brother arranged all of this for you. He said you loved music and your parents didn't agree with yours or his decision in pursing music."

"Did he tell you all of that?" Skylar asked.

"Yes. He also told me to tell you to make some friends, start a band even."

"Okay…..thank you again Jean."

"No problem Skylar."

For the next few hours after Skylar talked to Jean, Skylar helped the movers move all over her furniture into her new apartment. She made the very back bedroom on the downstairs her bedroom. Another bedroom was her study, and the last bedroom on the lower floor she was going to make it her teaching room for she planned on giving music lessons to people. Once the movers had done their job they had left and Skylar got started putting together the rest of her apartment.

Since it was on about 4 in the afternoon, Skylar went shopping for things to personalize her new apartment. She bought three different shades of blue paint, a light purple, and a forest green paint. After that she went to the book store and bought books on learning instruments and books for her to read. Finally she stopped at the little antique store called Second Time Around.

When she walked into the store she was amazed by all the things she says. A lady emerged from behind a back room." Hello, I'm April. Is there anything in your looking for?"

"No, I'm just looking. Actually now that I think about it, I'll need a bookcase or two." Skylar anwered.

"Ah, come this way and I'll point them out to you." April led Skylar to a corner od the shop. There were two bookcases that ran from the floor to the ceiling. They were ivory white and had a nice vintage look to them." These have been here since the store has been open. I think they are Victorian, and since I'm running out of space, I'll sell them to you for a hundred each."

"I'll take them." Skylar answered and when she did she spotted a small gong. "What's that?"

"Oh that? That is a Japanese gong called a shoko. I just got that shipped in a few weeks ago, not very many people are interested in it."

"Well I am, I'll take that too. I love Japanese culture and art and music."

"Great, if you follow me to the front of the store, I'll ring all of this stuff up."

Skylar walked to the front of the store slowly, taking in all of the sights of the artifacts and antiques. She knew he would be coming back to this store soon to get more things for her apartment." Is it possible that I could come pick this stuff up in a few days? I just moved in today and I'm still getting everything set and in order."

"Yeah that would be fine. Welcome to New York!." April said to Skylar.

"Thank you!" Skylar answered back before she walked out of the store.

Skylar had one more place she could stop at before it would be too late for stores to be open. The music store. When Skylar walked in, she saw instruments of all kinds hanging on the walls. Guitars, trumpets, trombones, saxophones, French horns, and many more instruments. On the ground were speakers and drum sets. In the back part of the store there was starting books for all the instruments in the store. There was also guitar strings and valve oil, slide grease, cork grease, mouthpieces and many more things.

Skylar started at the back of the store where the counter was. She kindly asked the attendant where she could find mounts to hang instruments on walls. Once he told her where to find them she went looking for them and found them quickly. She grabbed seven guitar mounts, two trumpet mounts, a trombone mount, and a few spare mounts in case she wanted to hang more instruments.

She took them to the counter to pay for them." Wow, you must sure love music." The guy who had pointed out where the mounts were earlier said.

"Yeah, my brother got me into music when I was really little. He bought me a 1949 Fender Broadcast Prototype when I was six." Skylar said as she pulled her wallet from her back pocket.

"He bought a what for you? That is one of the most expensive guitar in creation and you have one?" He exclaimed.

"Uh. Y-yeah, I do have one."

"Who is your brother?"

"Jason Justice." Skylar answered shyly.

"You're Skylar Marie Justice?" He asked.

"Um. Yeah I am."

"I am in the presence of the next big thing! This is such an honor! If you ever need anything at all I'm your man. This is my shop. If you want a job or need a place from band practice-"

"I'm not in a band." Skylar cut him off gently.

"You aren't?"

Skylar shook her head. " No….I'm not."

" Come by tomorrow at 8 after closing, we can change that." He handed her the bag with the mounts in it.

She took the bag from his hand." Thank you. What's your name?"

"My name is Justyn Strong."

"Well, thank you Justyn. I'll meet you tomorrow."

Skylar left the store and got into her car and started on her way home. She had been in New York less then 24 hours and had made three friends. She wasn't use to having friends. She usually just wrote songs in her spare time because she never had many friends to hang out with. There was only three friends she could think of that helped her song writing. When Skylar got into her apartment she realized she had left her cellphone on the counter of the kitchen advocate. She had three messages and three voicemails. She clicked on the voice mails and listened.

"_Hey Sky its Miles, just wanted to see what you were up to, I'm missing you here….Just call me or text me back when you get the chance."_

" _SKY! In case you couldn't tell, its me Austin, I really wanted to talk to you. Miles had been so depressed since you left that he hasn't even come out of his apartment. I know you just got there and you probably haven't even settled in but can you ask your brother if we could come visit for a week? Well, call me back. Love you!"_

"_Hey. Ryder here. Austin was planning a trip to see you? That's not the reason I called. I called because I finished that drum solo for your song. I emailed it to you. Catch you later maybe."_

Skylar exited out of her voice mailbox. She missed those guys so much. They helped her with so much and they were always there for her. They were her best friends. She quickly hit the spend dial on her phone.

"Hello?" A voice sounded from the other end of the phone.

"Jason?"

"Nope. This is Kris. Who the hell is this?"

"Kris, its me Skylar. I need to talk to Jason."

"Well call back later he's busy." Kris shouted before hanging up

Skylar sighed and placed her phone down. It was almost midnight and she wasn't tired at all. She grabbed a can of the paint she just bought and a paint brush, some masking tape, and some plastic. She started in her room and covered the floor with plastic and moved her bed out of the room. She began painting her bedroom walls a very light baby blue. After she applied two coats, she went to the middle wall and too a fine tipped paint brush and white paint and began elegantly painting words on her wall.

" _I heard there was a secret cord David played and it pleased the Lord…..Hallelujah."_

She washed her brushes and it was only three in the morning. She still wasn't tired, so she started on her study. She started with the light purple and painted the walls. Three coats later she washed the brushes again. She went back to her room, took the plastic off the floor and pushed her bed back into her room under the lyric.

She looked through her boxes and found her favorite bed set. A blue and gold set of sheets, pillow cases, and a think blanket. She made the bed up and pulled her two white bedside tables that matched the frame of her bed into her room next to her bed. She then, with some trouble, pushed her dresser into her room as well. After she did all of the it was five in the morning. She yet into the kitchen to get a bottle of water when she saw she had a new voice mail. She quickly clicked on the pulsing icon.

"_Sorry Sky, we were at a party and Kris had a little too much to drink. Call me back when you get this."_

Skylar knew that her brother would still be awake. She hit the redial button." Hello?" a groggy voice came form the other line.

"Sorry Jason, I thought that you would be awake, I'll call back later."

"I always have time for you kid, besides its hard to sleep with five snoring guys in the same room. So how's New York?"

Skylar moved to the window. " It truly is the city that never sleeps."

"Yeah it sure is."

"So Jason, Miles, Austin and Ryder want to come visit for a week…..is that okay with you?"

Jason laughed at the other end of the phone." Skylar, you're 21 now, you make your own decisions now. Just make sure you're most unpacked. I'll buy three plane tickets to New York in a week to give you time to get settled."

"Thanks Jason…. Go get some sleep bro. Love ya. Bye." Skylar hung up the phone.

Skylar started painting her instrument room and finished. A dark ocean blue paint covered the walls. By now it was eight in the morning. Skylar decided that she needed to go get some more things. As the day went by, she had purchased a desk, a couch and love seat set, and two televisions. She had set up the couches in the upstairs area so the guys would have a place to hang out. She placed a flat screen with the couches and the other in her room. She put the desk in her study right in front of her window. Later she picked up the gong and the two bookcases from April. She put one bookcase in her study and the other upstairs. She went out and bought a X-Box and all the games the guys like. She knew she was fortunate to have the funds to make all these purchases.

She hung seven of her guitars upstairs and her brass instruments in her room. She placed some books in both bookcases and put the gong in the bookcase in her study. Finally it was time for her to go see Justyn Strong. She decided to walk to the store seeing as it wasn't far away, things were looking up.


	2. Only A Mountain

Welcome to chapter 2! I hope you guys are enjoying this story. And I wanted to say something, the most common factor to me when I read stories on her about TMNT is that the girl(s) meet the turtles in the first chapter. I wanted to change that and give my character some time to adjust to her new setting since she is in a new environment in this story.

* * *

Skyward Spirits

Chapter 2: Only A Mountain

"Another day, another fight. It always feels like an uphill climb. Another step, another mile. The story of your life. It's harder then you ever thought it costs you everything you got. With your back against the wall, you feel like giving up. THIS ONLY A MOUNTIAN." - Jason Castro from his song "Only a Mountain".

* * *

Skylar opened the door to Justyn's music store, a small bell rang when she entered. She hadn't noticed it before. Justyn came out rom behind a curtain. "You made it."

"Yeah, I had planed to come right after I left your store yesterday." Skylar said making her way past all the instruments and deeper into the store. Justyn led her to a small room with some couches and chairs and offered her some tea which she greatly accepted.

"It's so hard to believe you aren't in a band." Justyn said

"Yeah. My brother says the same thing to me all the time; but it doesn't change the sad fact that I'm not in a band."

"Have you ever considered being in a band?"

"Well, I have thought about making it official with three really close friends of mine. They've helped me write music for my class when I was still learning about how to create a song, but I just don't know if they would go for it."

"What are their names?"

"Miles Ames, Austin Eclipse, and Ryder Morse."

"Well those are some pretty unique names. And are they all as interested in music as you are?"

"Well they know their stuff, they all taught themselves how to play their instruments. Miles plays lead guitar and sings, Austin plays base guitar and Ryder is a drummer."

"Well I believe you should go forward this band idea, but if that is what you choose then it sounds like you have a few more spaces you need to fill."

"That's the only thing I'm having problems with; back at home at least I knew people who had skills but here I don't know anybody…"

"Oh but you know Justyn Strong. I have a lot of talented kids that come in here, I could get you their names, and their email addresses."

"That would help so much."

Justyn got up and printed out all of the contacts he had and gave them to Skylar. He also helped her come up with a name for the band and also helped her picked out a good drum set. Justyn told her it was a good idea to want to pick out new members until her friends came, that way they had input on who can into the band as well.

"So, I think you're all set for now. And anytime you figure out a song and want to record it, come on down here, I've got a state of the art recording system."

"Thank you so much Justyn. I think I'll have a lot to do before my friends get here."

Skylar bought seven more guitar mounts and then left the store. It was stormy slightly as she started her walk home. She decided to call Austin as she walked. He picked up on the first ring.

"Hello?"

"Austin?"

"SKY!"

"Hey Austin, how's it going?"

"We all miss you so much! That's what! You've only been gone for like almost three days but we are falling to pieces!"

"When he says us he really means that he's the one bawling every time your name is said."

"Was that Ryder?"

"In the background? Yeah we're all chilling at Miles' place."

"Put me on speaker phone." Skylar said before she ducked into an alley to block the wind and the rain from hitting her.

"Okay you're on speaker."

"Guys, I came here looking for a new life; but I've realized that I can't start a new life without the three of you in it. I've been talking to Jason and his local music store owner and what I'm asking you is do you guys want to make official and give ourselves a name?"

"You mean as in become a band?" Ryder asked.

"That's exactly what I mean."

"I'm in!" Austin shouted. Skylar could imagine him jumping up from his seat.

"Sounds like fun. I'm in." Ryder replied.

Skylar waited for Miles' reply but it never came." Miles?"

"You know I'm not going to let these fools be in a band with you without me in it too."

Skylar smiled." Jason bought tickets for you guys to come down here in a few weeks. We can get started them. He'll buy the return home tickets when you guys are ready to go home. So pack for as long as you want to stay."

"Sounds like a-"

Before Austin could finish his sentence, the line went dead. It was only then that Skylar realized that she was in a dark alley in the middle of the night in the pouring rain with a dead cellphone.

"Ah look what we have here boys, a little girl who's lost. We should help her shouldn't we?"

Skylar turned around to see thugs clothed in black. Some worn dark torn jeans with dark shirts. Others worn articles of clothing that were a deep purple. Scars covered almost every inch of their bodies that was visible. Most looked like defensive wounds. Skylar asked herself who would be strong enough to take on these guys.

The one that had spoken earlier reached out and grabbed her arm, she immediately started struggling. She dropped the bag that she held in her hands and tried to pry her arm from the man's grip.

"She looks like she wants to have a little fun boss."

Skylar felt panic bubbling in her stomach. She wanted to scream but her voice was caught in her throat. As they started dragging her away from the wall of the building the rain hit her hard in the face, her black hair plastered against her face, finally she was able to find her voice and let out a scream.

Something came flying at the man, he hisses in pain as it cut his upper arm. Everyone there turned to where the object had come from up on the top of the top of the building. Skylar had a hard time seeing through the rain but she could four figures on the rooftop of the building.

The man clenched his hand tighter around Skylar's arm." Stupid turtles. Coming at us in this area."

'Turtles?' Skylar thought. The man shoved her, she stumbled into the arms of another member of his gang. He tugged her closer to him and she felt something poking her in the side. A knife.

"You picked the wrong night turtles." The leader called up. The four figures moved, she felt the man grasping her tense up. She looked to where the object that had started the fight had landed. As soon as she saw it she knew what it was. It was a sword. Against the dark pavement, the silver shone. And the blue cloth that shielded its grip was just as bright. Skylar had taken a class before. The Use of Unusual Weapons. The class had been terminated due to students getting hurt but Skylar still remember what she had learned.

She shoved the knife down with her hand. She turned a delivered a roundhouse kick to the guy who was still shocked that she had even shoved the knife away with her bare hand. The kick caught the guy on the side of the face, his skull vibrated the force of the kick. He dropped. Skylar regained her balance but winced when her foot hit the ground; she had put too much force behind the kick.

The leader turned and saw Skylar standing above his man. " You little bitch."

Before Skylar could look at him for his comment, he was right in front of her; with the knife from early in his hand. On instinct, Skylar dove to the side but the knife still caught her, slicing a fine line across her stomach. She fell next the sword and held her stomach. Before he could come down on her again, a figure threw it's self in front of her and blocked him, that's when Skylar got a good look at the figure. It was a turtle. He stood almost a full foot taller than her. A blue bandana was plastered against his shell. He turned his head to her. "Can you hand me that sword?"

"NO! Would you really betray your own to help these creatures?"

Skylar took her hand off the cut, blood trailed down her arm with the rain. She reached for the sword behind her, and handed the turtle the sword. In a swift, almost invisible movement, the turtle disarmed the man then knocked him out.

He turned back to Skylar ," Are you okay?"

Skylar felt dizzy, her whole leg was twitching in pain but she managed to mutter out an answer ,"Y-yeah."

He held out a hand to help her out, she accidently gave him the hand that she had been using to put pressure on her cut. She was shocked to see the blood on her hand and the blood that soaked her light blue shirt. "You are not okay."

Skylar felt the blood pounding in her ears, she felt light-headed and dizzy. She swayed before the turtle took her up in his arms. " Everyone head back home now!"

"I thought you a strict ' No Bringing People Home With Us Anymore' rule now fearless." Skylar heard a voice laugh.

She felt the turtle holding her turn around to face the voice, he immediately stopped laughing. " Well I'm not going to leave her here to die. Don, run ahead and get your things ready, she needs medical help."

That was the last thing Skylar remember before the world got hazy and then turned into complete darkness.

-:-

Skylar woke up to find herself wrapped up in five different blankets. Her head felt heavy and her stomach and foot still hurt, just a lot less then before.

She sat up and let out a groan.

"I see you're awake. That's good."

Skylar jumped when she heard the voice, almost falling off the cot she was laying in. She then realized it was another turtle except this turtle was wearing a blue bandana and has a less stern look.

"There are some dry clothes sitting at the edge of the cot, I'll get out of here do you can change." He sat standing up from his computer and walked out.

Skylar took off her still wet blue shirt, she noticed the blood stain on the shirt and looked down at her stomach, white gauze wrapped around her stomach tightly. The same gauze was wrapped around her left foot. She quickly pulled on the white t-shirt that was laying on the cot and then she pulled on the navy blue sweats. Finally she took a hair tie from her wrist and pulled her slightly curly hair into a high ponytail.

She tested her weight on her foot. She folded her wet clothes and placed them on the floor next to the cot so she wouldn't get the cot anymore wet then it was. She took a breath and stepped out of the sectioned off part of whatever room she was in…..


	3. Mermaid

Skyward Spirits

Chapter 3: Mermaid

"Beauty in the water, angel on the beach. Ocean's daughter, I thought love was out of reach." – Patrick Monahan from his band's song "Mermaid"

* * *

When Skylar walked out of the infirmary room into the main room, she was met face to face with a turtle clad in orange.

"Wow….your eyes are even more stunning up close." He said looking her in the eyes.

"Uh- thank you. No one has ever said that to me." Skylar said quietly.

"Michelangelo, leave the young girl alone. I imagine that she is already startled by tonights events. Maybe we should explain things to her."

The turtle stepped aside to see a tall rat cloth in a red robe standing in the door way to another room. He approached her." And may I ask what your name is child?"

"My name is Skylar Marie Justice." Skylar answered quietly

" That is a very unique name." The turtle wearing purple from before responded.

" Thank you."

"Perhaps we should introduce ourselves; I am master Splinter. I am father of these four."

The turtle clad in blue stood up from where he was sitting." I am Leonardo, but you may call me Leo."

"Im Donatello, but you can call me Don or Donny."

"Im Michelangelo or Mikey! " The turtle in orange exclaimed, smiling.

Skylar looked towards the last turtle." That is Raphael or Raph." Mikey said poking at him.

"You look like you want to lose a finger." Raph said roughly

"Boy enough. Its very late in the evening, Im sure Ms. Justice would like to go home and get some rest. Leonardo, will you escort her home? She can join us again later tomorrow if she feels like it." Splinter said.

" Ms. Justice." Leo gestured toward the door. Once they reached the outside drainage tunnel Skylar turned to Leo," You can call me Skylar, you don't have to continue being formal."

"O-okay Ms- I mean Skylar."

They walked around for a bit until Leo asked where Skylar lived." I live on Independence and Broadway, It's a back street."

After a few more minutes they arrived in the alley way next to her apartment building. "Since the Purple Dragons know who you are and that you have close relationship with us, we'll have to keep and eyes on you for a while. Once of us will stop by in about 12 hours, is that okay?"

"Yeah that's fine. I'll probably be working on my apartment since I just moved into the top apartment."

"Alright, I guess I will see you tomorrow."

* * *

Sorry it's really short. I have had a lot of things to do. I promise the next one will be longer! R&R please


	4. She Will Be Loved

Hello there everyone. I would like to take a minute to talk to you about what happened in Moore, Oklahoma. For those of you that do not know, On Monday May 20th, a F4 tornado tore through the heart of Oklahoma. This tornado destroyed two schools and many homes. When this tornado touched down, school was still in session in Moore. This tornado completely destroyed Plaza Tower Elementary School and damaged Bryerwood Elementary. The kids from Bryerwood made it out safe, but some children from Plaza Towers did not. For the past two days, workers have been working non stop to try to find any survivors. I live in Oklahoma. In Moore. I have seen first hand the suffering that this tornado has caused. The death total is 51 and rising, which is more deaths then the tornado of May 3, 1999. Many parents will never get to hold or kiss their children goodbye so do that tonight. If you have children, tell them you love them. And if your child's school or your school does not have a shelter for ANY sort of disaster, don't stand there and let that continue! No schools in the Oklahoma City and Moore area have shelters, we live in the middle of Tornado Alley, we are the most prepared for tornados and yet look at everything that has happened. All we had was 16 minutes. 16 minutes to save our lives. Every night I am out there doing what I can for the people who have nothing left. If you would like to help, go to .org , or text STORM to 80888 for a 10 dollar donation, or text REDCROSS to 90999 to give a 10 dollar donation, or call Salvation Army's relief efforts at 1-800-SAL-ARMY or mail a check to the Salvation Army at P.0 BOX 12600, Oklahoma City, Ok 73157. And if you live in Oklahoma, here are the following places that you can help. Remington Park racing and casino are taking food, water, and money donations and getting the food and water to the workers who are working. The know a worker so they can get to the front lines. They are also opening their jockey room for workers who need rest and a shower. Also, the University of Oklahoma had opened its dorms to those who have lost their homed, they need food, water and clothing. Oklahoma Baptist University in Shawnee has done the very same and needs the same supplies. New Hope Baptist Church has opened its doors as well as many other churches in the near by area and need the following supplies: WATER, NONPERISHABLE FOOD ITEMS, FIRST-AID KITS, DIAPERS, BABY WIPES, CLOTHING, TOWELS, SHAMPOO, SOAP, DEODARANT, AND ANYTHING ELSE YOU CAN THINK OF! Please for those of you who can give, please do so. We need so much help right now! So many people have injuries that they are treating people outside The Warren. I had my injuries threated there and they did a great job but they have been working for 2 days straight and are running low on medical supplies! And please let this be an example for those of you who live in Tornado Alley and your school has no shelter.

" YOU CAN BLOW US UP, YOU CAN BLOW US DOWN. WE WILL REBUILD IN EVERY TOWN. WHEN ONE MAN FALLS, TEN WILL RISE. TO DUST THEM OFF, AND STAND BY THEIR SIDE. OUR HEARTS ARE BROKEN FOR THOSE WE LOST. HOMES DESTROYED, AND VECHICLES TOSSED. IT TAKES MORE THEN WIND TO BREAK OUR STRIDE. WE STAND UNITED, THAT'S OKLAHOMA'S PRIDE!"

* * *

Skyward Spirits

Chapter 4: She Will Be Loved

* * *

"Its not always rainbows and butterflies , its compromise that moves us along. Yeah, My heart is full and my door's always open. Come anything you want." – Adam Levine from his band's song "She Will Be Loved".

Skylar awoke when sunlight bled through the curtains of the windows I her room and hit her in the face. She opened her eyed and stretched. She instantly felt pain in her stomach. She had her arms across her stomach as she made her way to her bathroom. She carefully lifted up her shirt and pulled the bandage down. The fine cut that she thought was there last night was in fact a gash. It was red and raw. Purples and blue swirled around it. She pulled the bandage back up and made her way to the living room. She laid on the couch. Her stomach burst in pain every time she moved. Finally, after a while, she felt the pain diminish.

She made her way to her room. She peeled the shirt and shorts she had slept in off and reached for clothes that hung in her closet. She pulled on a pair of dark blue skinny jeans and a black and white stripped long-sleeved shirt. She pulled on a pair of socks and white All-Stars carefully. She went to the bathroom again. She cleaned her face and pulled her hair into a messy bun.

She went back to her room and pulled a white backpack with music notes out of her closet. She placed her laptop in it with the book she was reading. She also placed her phone and her IPod in the front pocket. She grabbed her lanyard with her keys and put in around her neck. And she slid her red framed Ray-Bans on.

She walked out of her apartment building and into the already busy streets of New York. She made her way to a small two story coffee shop that was down the street from her apartment. She ordered and paid for a muffin and a coffee and walked upstairs and sat down by the window. Not many people were upstairs, so she enjoyed the quiet. She pulled out her MacAir and checked her email. After a while, her phone went off. The name Miles Ames flashed on her screen. She hit the accept button.

"Hello?" Skylar answered.

"Hey Sky, what happened last night? You hung up." Miles was dead serious.

"I'm sorry Miles I didn't mean to hang up, my battery died."

"Oh. Did you make it home okay?"

Skylar didn't answer at first. She knew when they got here, the cut wouldn't have healed and she would have to tell them." Well, not exactly….." Skylar trailed off.

"What happened." It wasn't in the form of a question.

"Some guys just cornered me. I'm fine though Miles."

"Corner you? Skylar, are you sure you're okay?"

"Yes Miles I am okay."

Miles was quiet for a minute. " Skylar I don't feel comfortable with you being there by yourself. I want to come."

"Miles you are coming in a week with Ryder and Austin."

"Could we come sooner? I care about you and I don't want you to get hurt."

"Miles I don't know if that's a good idea."

"And why not?"

"I just don't think it is, but if you feel like you NEED to come fine. Come." Skylar hit the end call button. She didn't know why Miles made her so upset. She sighed and finished looking through her email. She left the coffee shop and decided to go pick some things up from the store. She bought some tea and things for making dinner for the nest few days.

She went home to out things away then pulled her computer and set it down on the island in her kitchen and sat down. She looked through the contacts that Justyn had sent to her. She found a guy that played the piano, she sent him a email.

The day went by so fast. Skylar spent most of the day cleaning her apartment, but when the sun started setting, she heard a knocking at her window. She walked over and opened it.

"Oh hello Mikey." Skylar smiled.

"Hi Skylar."

Skylar motioned inside the apartment." Won't you come in?"

Mikey climbed into the apartment. "Wow this place is huge! Why do you live here by yourself?" Mikey threw himself on the couch.

Skylar laughed. "Well I am not going to be living here by myself in a while. Some friends of mine will be coming to stay here for awhile while we get together our idea for a band."

"A band? Your going to be in a band?"

"Well that's the plan."

"That's awesome!"

"Well I guess it is."

"Well Leo told me where you lived and I wanted to know if you wanted to come hang out for a little bit."

"Sure, I have nothing better to be doing."

Mikey led Skylar back to the turtles lair. "Hey guys look who I brought!"

Leo came out from his room where he was meditating. As soon as he saw Skylar, he felt heart skip a beat. Then he shook his head slightly, why did he feel this way? He went back into his room.

"Well it looks like Leo wont be joining us."

"That's okay, I can hang out with you Mikey."

Skylar and Mikey spent a lot of time playing video games. Skylar had never really took an interest in video games, but then again, she never really had anyone to play with. Her mother and father were never really around and her brother was always to busy.

"Michelangelo, I did not know we had a guest." Mikey and Skylar turned to see Master Splinter.

"Yeah Mister Splinter, I brought Skylar."

"Ah, Ms. Justice. May I have a word?"

"Yes of course." Skylar felt tense when Mikey left.

"Ms. Justice, how is injury doing?" He asked.

"It's much better."

Skylar and Splinter talked for awhile . The more they talked, the more at ease Skylar felt. Splinter was the father figure that Skylar never had. After a while, her and Mikey went back to playing video games. Then Mikey feel asleep. Soon after Leo came down from his room.

"Hello." Skylar said when Leo didn't seem to notice her.

Leo turned and noticed her. "Oh hello Ms.-"

" Oh come on Leo, You can call me Skylar."

"Uh- okay…" Leo stuttered.

"So do you meditate?"

"Yeah, I do. How did you know?"

"I could smell the candles. My mom was big on meditation. She wasn't really into the music deal like my father and brother were. She was more down to earth."

"Your mother sounds really nice."

"Yeah. She really is."

"Are you more like your mother or father?"

"Well everyone says I look like my mom but I act like my dad."

"So are you into music like your dad?"

"Yeah. I love playing the violin. It was the first instrument I learned to play."

"Really? I love violins."

"Maybe I could play something for you sometime."

" I would love that." Leo paused." I think I should be getting you home."

"Yeah, I have a meeting in the morning with a friend of mine." Skylar stood and for the first time in a long time, she felt like someone cared for her.


	5. The Man Who Never Lied

Skyward Spirits

Chapter 5: The Man Who Never Lied

"Like a tragedy, like a dark comedy. Laughing at each other, laughing at each other….I was the man who never lied, never lied until today…I won't do it anymore." Adam Levine from his band Maroon 5's song "The Man Who Never Lied".

* * *

Skylar hardly slept, she felt extremely tired and sick. She didn't know why she couldn't fall asleep, but all morning she had been walking around her apartment half awake. She had managed to call Justyn and tell him she wasn't well and she had to cancel her meeting with him.

She spent a lot of the morning cleaning her kitchen advocate. She cleaned out her fridge and did the dishes that had collected in the sink from the past few days. Once she finished doing the dishes she went upstairs and sat on the couch, she felt extremely sick. Before she knew it she was fast asleep.

She fell into a dream. Back to her old town when she was little. Her parents never really agreed to the whole music thing. He dad supported it the best he could because he use to be in a band, but even then, you could still see he didn't approve it very much. Her mother just flat out hated it and she made her hate known. The first time her mom ever blew up because of music is when Jason asked and asked for an IPod. He was really starting to get into music at that point and finally their mom reached her breaking point and yelled at him to forget about music. Skylar remember Jason sitting in his room crying the rest of the day. Skylar and her father went out to get food for dinner and they stopped at a store and her father bought Jason and IPod with a gift card to buy songs.

That night Skylar's father slept on the couch. She always remembered the fights the three of them had about music. Jason's first guitar, Jason's first drum set, Jason's first music school, Jason's first band. She remembered how much Jason felt like an outsider in his own family. Time went on, their oldest brother Tyler left the day after her turned 18 and the next thing they knew a letter came from him, he joined the Marines. Jason left as soon as he could, no word from him for years. Skylar had just started medical school when she received a call late one night. Jason called saying he needed her help, but this point in time he was famous with his band, she never thought he would need her help. She made a choice and dropped out of the college she went to and moved in with Jason. Her parents still didn't know about it. Jason had been drinking and doing drugs, he had really messed his life up. Skylar helped him turn his life back around once she did she moved to New York and decided to take up music.

She had always been into music, and thanks to Jason and his war with their parents, she was in her high school marching band, concert band, and jazz band. Her parents never seem to notice her, which at times she was thankful for. She could only imagine what her parents would do if they found out she wasn't in medical school.

"Skylar, are you awake?"

"Mikey, leave her alone. She's sleeping, we should leave and let her sleep."

"Oh come on Don."

Skylar blinked her eyes. She was met face to face with a smiling face. "Hi Mikey." She said in a sleepy voice.

"Did Mikey wake her up?" Skylar heard Leo call from downstairs.

"Yeah, he did."

Leo and Raph came from downstairs. " Mikey, I said we were leaving because she was sleeping."

"Oh no its okay Leo," Skylar paused and yawned. "I'm awake now."

"No, Mikey should have woke you up."

"No I probably needed to get up, I've been sleeping all day."

"All day? Are you feeling okay?" Don asked, sitting down next to Skylar.

"Yeah, I just felt a little sick this morning."

Don placed his hand on her forehead, " You're running a fever." Don said with concern in his voice.

"Well now we have to stay to take care of our lovely lady." Mikey smiled and sat on the other side of Skylar and put his arm around her.

"Oh, you guys don't have to do that."

"Well I highly doubt that Mikey is going to take no for an answer, and we came her to spend time with you." Leo smiled.

"Well, I don't know what we would do." Skylar said.

"Well, it looks like you have a lot of movies. And we usually have movie night so we can just have it here. Raph can pick out the movie." Don stated.

Raph picked out Live Free or Die Hard and put it in. After the first twenty minutes of the movie, Skylar fell asleep against Leo's shoulder. There was something about him that just felt….right. Growing up, she had went out with Miles, and he had made of a lot of mistakes. A lot he could never take back. He was never honest or truthful, but with Leo, Skylar felt as if that's what he stood for.

Skylar didn't know how long she was asleep. It must have been awhile because it was pitch black outside when Leo gently woke her up. Skylar rubbed her eyes and looked around, " Where is everyone?"

"Hiding, someone is at the door."

"Oh okay, I'll get it." Skylar made her way downstairs and went to the door thinking about who it might be. She opened the door and behind it stood a guy wearing jeans, a white shit with a black dress jacket with sandy blonde hair and ocean foam green eyes.

"M-Miles," Skylar stuttered, "What are you doing here?"

"The guys are at a hotel, I told them I need to get some air. I looked you up. I need to talk to you." He said.

"Come on in." Skylar opened the door wider for him to step in. As Skylar closed the door, Miles looked around the huge apartment. "Wow this place is huge."

"Um yeah. So what was so important that it couldn't wait until tomorrow when you called me at six in morning and ask me where I live then tell me you guys would be over in an hour?"

"Wow," Miles rubbed the back of his neck. "I guess you do know us that well."

"Miles."

"I came to talk about us."

Skylar rolled her eyes and moved to the kitchen and pulled a glass from the cabinet and filled it with water. "What are you doing?"

"I am getting water and trying to piece together how you still think there is an us."

"But there is."

"Miles, I have been gone a little over a month, just because you haven't seen me does not mean anything has changed."

"How many times do I have to say sorry?"

Skylar pushed past Miles. "You can stop because I'm not forgiving you."

Miles grabbed her arm. As soon as he did they both heard movement. "What was that?"

Skylar shoved Miles away from her. "It's just the cat." She said quickly.

"You have a cat?"

"Yes I do."

"But you hate cats."

"Not as much as I hate you."

"Skylar, I said I was sorry."

"What exactly were you saying sorry to? Cheating on me with whoever that girl was after the school dance and you left me there all by myself? Or wait was it the time you slapped me when you were drunk? Oh no I got it. It was the time when you got mad at me at that basketball tournament and slept with my brother's girlfriend. That last one has to be it."

"You're still not over that?"

"You were in a relationship with me, one that I was giving you a chance with because you screwed it up twice before. I wanted you there to support me, but no instead you blow up and sleep with someone. I swear its like you sleep with everything you touch! And that was Jason's first real relationship! He loved her! He was going to ask her to marry him! And you ruined that and you ruined us! I will let you do this band thing with us because if Austin and Ryder found out they would screw you up."

"They wouldn't."

"Yes they would. When you left me at the dance, it was Austin that asked me to be his date for the rest of the night and he gave me a ride home. He was there for me, I didn't tell him you left me. And when you slapped me at that party, it was Ryder that found me crying on the staircase. He helped me and when he asked me what happened I told him and he was ready to kill you. Why do you think he goes with you to drinking parties? You like to get high and drunk."

"Your scrum of a brother does the same thing."

Skylar slapped him. Hard. "Don't you ever bring Jason into this. He called me to help him because he wanted to change. You on the other hand just kept calling your guy that gave you drugs. I never liked that. Never."

"I recall a time where you drank too." Miles said recovering from the slap.

"Yes I drank but never once did I get drunk. I went to all those drinking parties because I wanted to make sure you got home safe. I went because I cared for you."

"So it's okay if your brother does those things but if I do it its wrong?"

"My brother had a hard time growing up. I can understand why he was the way he was, but I held you to a different standard. And stop comparing yourself to my brother, at least he called me to help him and he fixed his life."

"He made you give up medical school."

"And I gave it up with a smile on my face because that's what families do. They help each other. And I never wanted to be a doctor. I know you probably think that I have it all, but no one ever asked what I wanted. The first time someone did was Jason three months ago."

"What is there another guy in your life already?"

"You have no right to know that."

"There is, isn't there?"

"I don't have to answer to you. I can be friends with whoever I want, and when I date again, I can date whoever I want. You aren't my father, I don't have to answer to you."

"You aren't hearing me out. I am trying to say I am sorry. When you left I thought that we were never going to see you again and then that night you called and you were disconnected we were all worried sick."

"My phone just died. And nothing happened to me. I am fine."

"Skylar, I want to be with you. I really do. I know I messed up in high school, I know I shouldn't have put you through all of that. I am truly sorry Skylar. I will do anything to prove how sorry I am."

"You had your chance after your first mistake, then after your second. I am not going for a fourth time. I am sorry but I cant do it."

"And why not? You gave me all those chances why can't you give me one more?"

"When I moved here I promised myself it was going to be different. I was going to make my own friends, not like high school where I just hung out with your drinking buddies."

"Skylar."

"I think you should go."

"I'm not leaving."

"Yes you are."

"Not until you give me another chance."

Skylar sighed and went back to her kitchen and pick up her cellphone and pressed the home button three times then she walked back into the living room. "What are you doing?"

"I have Ryder on speed dial. I cant make you leave but he and Austin can come here and drag you back to your hotel room. I had plans tonight and you are currently ruining my night so I want you gone."

Just as Miles was about speak Ryder picked up his phone. " Why hello Sky, how may I help you?"

"I take it you're in town?"

"Y-yeah. How did you know?"

"I'll give you three guesses and the first two don't count."

"Miles."

"Yeah, could you come get him, he doesn't want to leave willingly."

"Sure, what's you address?"

Skylar told him her address and said goodbye. "You really had to call him?"

"You're the one who decided to show up at my doorstep and reopen old wounds. I told you we were done and you can't handle nor understand that and I have had enough."

"You can be a bitch sometimes."

"Great to hear. Nothing you say is going to change my mind. You and me are done."

After 20 minutes of more arguing, the doorbell rang. Skylar went and opened the door. A guy with black long a hair and silver eyes wearing a leather jacket. "Where is he?"

"In the living room." Ryder walked past him and Skylar went to follow him but was picked up from behind. "Austin! Put me down!" Skylar laughed.

"Nope. Sorry not happening. I require this for the next five minutes for not seeing you for so long."

Skylar looked at her bright eyed friend. " You can hang with me all you want tomorrow. I'll reserve tomorrow just for you."

"Deal." Austin said putting her down. They both walked into the living room where Miles and Ryder were fighting. "Miles let's go."

"No I made it clean I am not leaving until she gives me another chance."

"Another chance?" Ryder looked toward Skylar.

"He wants to go back out with me."

"Miles, no. I don't approve of that."

"Neither do I." Austin said.

"Who asked you guys?"

"Skylar is like my little sister and she's Austin's best friend. We know about the relationship you had with her. We were the ones who helped her when you bailed on her. Miles please let's just go."

"Fine. Fine I am leaving." He stormed out of the apartment.

"Austin, go with him, he doesn't have a room key."

Once they were alone Ryder opened up his arms." Come here."

Skylar walked into his arms and he hugged her. "Sorry Sky. I know he's a handful. I'll talk to him."

"Thank you so much Ryder. I guess I'll see you soon." Skylar followed him to the door and closed it after him.

Before she could ever turn around a hand was on her shoulder. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah Leo, I'm alright." Skylar took a deep breath. " He just doesn't understand that I can't be cheated on, pushed around, or lied to anymore."

"I don't see how he couldn't understand that. It's very understandable."

"Yeah it is, I'm sorry you guys had to watch all of that."

"Don't apologize. Its okay."

"How about another movie?"

"Sounds great."


	6. Drive By

Skyward Spirits

Chapter 6: Drive By

"On the other side of the street I knew, stood a girl that looked like you. I guess that's déjà vu, but I thought this can't be true. 'Cause you moved to west LA, or New York or Santa Fe or whenever to get away from me." –Patrick Monahan from his band Train's song "Drive By".

* * *

Skylar woke up just as the blue hue of the morning sky began to fade. She found herself wrapped in the cold sheets that she hadn't fallen asleep in the night before. She wanted so much to curl into those sheets for a few more hours of sleep, sleep she needed. Her head was pounding, but she needed to get up. She made her way to the kitchen to get something to drink when she noticed a note on the counter. It was from Leo saying that she should go get more sleep and there was a number at the bottom. 'Call this number if you need anything'.

Skylar slipped the note until a random drawer and got herself a glass of water and went back to her room and crawled back under the covers. She felt so cold and she didn't know why. She felt herself fall back into a deep sleep. It felt like she had been asleep for seconds before someone was gently shanking her awake. "Skylar, are you okay?"

"Austin, what are you doing here?"

"Well I kept texting you and when you didn't answer I came over and you didn't answer the door. Knowing you, I knew you put a spare key somewhere I found it and let myself in."

"What time is it?" Skylar asked rubbing her eyes.

"It's almost two in the afternoon."

"What? Is it really?" Skylar pushed the sheets back, I've slept the whole day away!"

Austin placed his hands on her shoulders. "Skylar you're running a high fever, you need to relax. How about you go sit on the couch and I'll make some of my famous chicken soup for us to eat?"

"That sounds wonderful Austin." Austin helped her to the couch and he started working on the soup, searching the cabinets for things he needed.

"So Miles got another hotel room and locked himself in it."

"It's just his way of dealing with himself."

"He kept saying he was sure you where seeing another guy. Are you?"

"No I am not seeing anyone but there is a guy I sort of like."

"Really? What's his name?"

"His name is Leo."

"That's an interesting name. Do you really like him?"

"I think I do."

"Well then you should let him know that." Austin said handing her a bowl of soup. " But you should tell Miles."

"Why?"

"Skylar, he really misses you and he's really confused. And if there is a guy you like, he deserves to know."

After a few moments of silence, Skylar smiled. "When did you get so mature?"

"Oh, I've been learning from the best."

* * *

Leo couldn't meditate. He just couldn't clear his mind. His thoughts kept going back to her. He didn't know why, there was just something about her that made his heart skip a beat every time he saw her. Last night when Miles was arguing with Skylar all Leo wanted to do is punch him. She shouldn't have been treated like that. It made him sick, she deserved better.

He gave up on meditating and sat on the edge of his bed. Why did he feel this way about her? Why did he feel the need to always be at her side? To protect her? He wanted to be there in case she needed him. Only, what would happen if he did get closer to her? Surely The Foot and The Shredder would try to use his relationship with her to their advantage and he would never forgive himself if she got seriously hurt because of him.

He knew he needed to make a choice. If his relationship with Skylar deepened, it would put her in danger. If he stayed completely out not only would she have to deal with Miles' constant approaching but he would feel like he lost a great chance. How would he confront her about his feelings? Every time he saw her he was with his brothers, he would have to find a time where he could see her without his brothers with him. He decided it, he was going to talk to Skylar, he needed to find the right time.

* * *

"Well Skylar, do you feel better?"

"Yeah Austin, I really do feel better. You always know how to make me feel better." Skylar smiled.

"So will you be alright or do you want me to stay for a little bit longer?" Austin said pulling on a leather jacket.

"Well, maybe we can go see a movie. I kind of need to get out of this house." Skylar said.

"Well go get dressed. A movie sounds great."

Skylar went into her bedroom and changed into a pair of dark jeans with rips in them and a loose fitting black silk tank top and a pair of black All Stars. She grabbed her phone and put it in her back pocket. She walked back out into the living room and Austin offered her his arm, "Shall we go?"

"Let's go."

The two of them walked down the street to the nearest theatre. "I missed going to see movies with you."

"I did too, its quite relaxing."

* * *

Three figures hide in the shadows, "That's her sir. She's the one that the turtles saved."

"You need to find more about her. Find out where she goes during the say, find out what apartment she lives in, I want you to make yourself part of her life." A rough voice sounded from the shadows. "She is very important to the master, make sure you find out all about her.

"Yes sir. I understand."

* * *

Skylar and Austin walked out of the movie theatre. " I've been wanting to see that movie for the longest time. Thanks for taking me Austin."

"No problem Skylar. I'm glad I'm getting to spend time with you again." Austin smiled and put his arm around her. "I've missed spending time with you."

"I've missed spending time with you too Austin. It's just been stressful a lot lately."

"I can understand that, here why don't we take a short cut to get you home? I bet you're tired." Austin led her down a alley."

"I don't know about this Austin…." Skylar trailed off. "This doesn't look like a good idea."

"Its okay Skylar I'm here with you."

After a few minutes they were about to turn the corner they both heard laughing. "Hey look guys, its that little girl from the other night."

Six guys stepped forward from the shadows. Austin pushed Skylar behind him. "We don't want any trouble guys."

"Ah, who are you? Her boyfriend?"

"I don't see where that matters." Austin said as the guys started advancing toward them.

"Just hand her over kid and you can hurray along." One guy said reaching out toward Skylar.

'Not a chance." Austin said suddenly taking a swing and hitting the guy in the face.

For the moment all of the attention was focused on Austin. Even though Austin had a build, he couldn't hold them all off. Suddenly he was grabbed roughly from behind.

"Hey let her go!" The guy who had a hold of Skylar was gone. Skylar was met face to face with Leo. "Get your friend and get out of here. Go home."

Skylar managed to get Austin away from the fight and down the street. " Okay." Austin said when they slowed down. " New rule, no more going out on your own."

"I think I can live with that."

They walked until they reached Skylar's apartment. "Are you sure you're okay Skylar?"

"Yeah, I'll be fine Austin. I think I am going to go up to bed. I've had enough excitement for one night."

"Yeah, me too." Austin gave her a hug. "Goodnight Skylar."

As Skylar walked into her apartment building she waved to Austin. Little did they both know someone was watching them from the shadows.


	7. The Saltwater Room

Hello there everyone! Well, I am excited I finally got my new computer and that means I will be updating more frequently! And I already have a plan for the sequel for this story, it's been festering in my head for quite some time now. And I would like to thank the following people: Ninjanoodles27 and FlowerSilverStar105 for following my story. Thank you guys so much!

Skyward Spirits

Chapter 7: The Saltwater Room

"I opened my eyes last night and saw you in the low light walking down by the bay on the shore staring up at the stars that aren't there anymore. – Adam Young from his band Owl City's song "The Saltwater Room".

It was early in the morning, dark clouds loomed over the city, fog swept through the streets. The city felt dark and cold. Light rain fell, it was enough to make people uncomfortable and hate the weather, but not enough to distract anyone from their plans. Skylar was already up at this early hour drinking warm tea by the window, she watched as the rain streaked down her window. Like liquid crystals, the small drops shimmered. Skylar imagined that someone was sad, and the sky was sad for that person, or so she had been told by her mother when she was growing up. She finished her tea and washed the cup, just as she finished washing it, her cellphone rang. She quickly answered it.

"Hello?"

"Oh good you answered. I got in contact with Ryker and Kai and they both aren't doing anything today and would like to meet up with you today. Are you able to met up with them?" Justyn's voice came from the other line.

"Yeah I can, I'm not doing anything today.

"How about you come over in a hour?"

"That sounds good, I'll see you then Justyn." Skylar said before hanging up the phone.

Skylar went back to her room and changed into a pair of dark skinny jeans and a black, tight V-neck shirt and a dark navy blue zip up jacket. She slipped into her black All-Star Converse shoes. She went back into her living room and picked her phone back up and dialed Ryder. He answered on the second ring. "Hey Sky, what's up?"

"Hey Ryder, I am meeting up with two guys who I think will be good addition to our band and I was wondering if you could come with me so maybe I could get your opinion on them?"

"I would love to, but Austin I'll have to bring Austin with me, he's been bugging me to go do something with him. Where exactly are we meeting?"

"Unlimited Music. It's on 2nd and Rose Square Road. Also, I wanted to give them a copy of the first song we wrote because I want to put it on our first album. What do you think?"

"Well since we all wrote the song together and it's what really started us, so I think it's a good idea."

"What does Austin think?"

Skyalr heard Ryder turn to Austin and talk to him a second later she heard Ryder clearly again. " He likes the idea too, and don't ask what Miles thinks, he isn't here."

"Well I wasn't going to ask for his opinion. He can either go along with the plan or not. So I'll meet you guys in half an hour."

"See you there Sky." Ryder said before hanging up the phone.

Skylar looked around her room for her wallet. She made a mental note to clean up the clutter from her room when she had the chance. Almost every other room was spotless until except her room, she hadn't really thought to pick up the clutter seeing as no one really goes into her room. She found her wallet hidden under her pillow. She picked up her keys and headed out to Justyn's store. The rain hit her face like needle. She pulled her hood lower and covered her face. When she reached Justyn's store, she was soaking wet. Ryder and Austin were already there, both were completely dry.

"Skylar! You're soaking wet, did you walk here?" Justyn exclaimed.

Skylar shivered. "Yeah I did."

"Sky, why didn't you say anything?" Ryder shrugged off his leather jacket and placed it on her shoulders. "Austin and I would have come picked you up."

"How? Do you guys have a car?"

"Yeah, we got one a few days after we got here. We are also looking at apartments, Austin is blowing all of our money on room service."

"There are apartments available at the apartment complex I live at. You guys could come look." Skylar slid her arms into Ryder's jaket, the jacket was baggy but it was warming her up a lot.

"Well, I think we should help you find a car because its weather like this that you need one."

"Well Skylar, Ryker and Kai are a little late. So why don't you three come around the counter and look at a little something. Skylar, Ryder, and Austin joined Justyn behind the counter and Justyn pulled up a website on his computer. " I found this and I got it for you guys, consider it a gift to get you started."

On the screen was pictures of guitars and a drum. "Justyn, there is no way we can take this from you."

"I already got it. It will be here on a few days and I plan on customize it for you, but I'll need a name and I know you had one in mind."

"Yeah I did, but I haven't talked with anyone else."

"What were you thinking?" Ryder asked.

"Well, remember when we played back when we were still in high school and Jason game us a name?"

"You mean when he said we were all free spirits and things like that? Didn't he give us the name skyward spirits?"

"Yeah, he did. And I was thinking it was a good name for us."

"Well I like it." Austin smiled.

"Yeah, I do too and Miles has always liked it so I know he won't mind." Ryder said.

Seconds later the front door opened and two guy drenched in water walked through the door. One had dirty blonde hair that was short and spiked up, he had mint green eyes that stood out. He was wearing light colored jeans and a green shirt that brought out the intensity of his eyes. He wore a black hoodie and was about the same height of Ryder. The other guy was much shorter, about the same height as Skylar. He had dark brown hair that was plastered to his face. It hung in his amber colored eyes. He was wearing a maroon colored short sleeved buttoned up shirt and brown pants. " Skylar, this is Riley and Kai."

"Hello Skylar, my name is Kai Oliver Donovan." The guy in the maroon shirt extended his hand. Skylar shook it. " It's nice to meet you, these are my friends Austin Eclipse and Ryder Morse." Kai shook their hands. "This is my friend Riley."

The guy with the mint eyes stepped forward to introduce himself. "Hello, my name is Riley Chandler Greyson, it is very nice to meet you."

"Is that an accent I sense?" Skylar asked as she shook Riley's hand.

"Yes. I am from the United Kingdom. I was born in Wells." Riley smiled.

"Really? That's amazing! Did you grow up there?"

"Yes I did. I only moved here about a year ago."

"Really? And you haven't lost your accent yet?"

"No, surprisingly I haven't yet." Riley smiled.

"So what do you guys play?" Ryder asked.

"Well I play piano mostly, but I also play guitar and sing." Riley said. " Well I play drums, guitar, and a lot of other miscellaneous instruments." Kai answered.

"Like what?"

"Uh, trumpet, trombone, flute and saxophone."

"Wow, that's a lot of instruments."

"Yeah."

"Well, if you guys don't mind I have a song here and I was wondering if you guys could play it with Austin and Ryder."

"Sure, sounds like fun." Kai said.

Ryder took a seat at a drum set and Austin picked up a bass guitar. Skylar handed Kai a guitar and Riley sat down at a piano. They started playing the song. And Skylar started having flash backs of the first time her, Miles, Ryder, and Austin had first met. Once they had finished playing the song, Skylar looked at Ryder and Austin. "Well what do you guys think?"

"I think that went great!" Austin said handing the guitar to Skylar. "Yeah, their sound blended well."

"How did you guys feel playing?" Skylar asked Riley and Kai.

"It was easy getting into the song." Kai said.

"Yeah and I liked the song, have you wrote lyrics yet?" Riley asked.

"Yeah, this song has been with us for a long time, it was the first one we wrote together." Ryder said putting the drum sticks in his back pocket.

"Well since we all like how we play, I think that makes it official." Skylar smiled.

"No, it's not official until a picture is taken." Justyn said.

"That's true! Justyn, do you mind taking a picture of us?" Skylar asked.

"No problem Skylar, let me see your phone." Skylar handed him her phone and he took a quick picture of them. After he did, Justyn handed the phone back to Skylar.

"So how about we go to my apartment and I'll show you guys some songs I wrote?" Skylar asked.

"Austin and I have nothing to do." Ryder said.

"We're game." Kai said. " We have a car, so we'll just follow you guys."

"Okay, Sky, you are riding with me and Austin. No more walking in the pouring rain for you." Ryder said ushering her towards the door.

"Bye Justyn! I'll see you later!" Skylar called as they all made their way out of the store.

"See you Skylar." Justyn called back.

They drove back to Skylar's apartment. When they reached the lobby, Skylar gave Austin the key while she talked to Jean about the apartments that were for rent. Jean told her about the apartment that was one floor below her that had four rooms. Skylar smiled and formed a plan, she paid for the first years rent right then and there. Jean gave her four keys to the apartment, Skylar thanked her and went up to her apartment. When she got there, all the guys were sitting on the couch up stairs talking. She set her purse down and walked up the stairs. " I have all the music in my office, I'll go get it. I'll be right back."

Skylar made her was to her office, which was a mess. Papers littered the floor, books were scattered everywhere. When she couldn't find the music sheets, she went to her bedroom and looked on her desk, she found a few songs but not all of them. She started searching until she heard knocking at her window, she rushed over to it and pushed the curtains back. Leo and Don were on the other side. Skylar opened the window and let them in. "Hey Skylar, we were wondering if you wanted to come hang out with us for a bit." Leo asked.

Leo watched as Skylar looked around the room. "Well, the guys are over and we were going to go over some music." Leo watched her look through folders. He saw water dripping from her hair and face. She was wearing a thick leather jacket that Leo didn't recognize, it didn't look like hers, it was two sizes too big and it fell almost to her knees. For some strange reason, that bothered Leo. He felt jealously rising in him, but he ignored it. "What are you looking for?"

Skylar pulled a blue folder from under her computer on her bed and opened it, a smile flashed across her face. "This, this is what I am looking for. It's music I wrote."

"Did you write it for anything in particular?" Don asked.

"Well, they are actually for our first album. I've got a lot of our stuff put together, the guys left it up to me. We have a photo shoot for our album next week, I have to take all of them shopping soon to get the theme right because I know they won't. And then we have to go record when we get all the songs written."

"It sounds like things are going well for you so far." Don said.

"Yeah." Her gaze darkened but she turn back toward them. " Well, if you guys want to come over later I'm sure they'll be gone by then."

"We'll do that."

Don and Leo climbed back out of the window and Skylar shut it behind them. She gathered papers and her laptop and went back to the living area before climbing up the stairs. "Well, I got songs here and some other things we need to go over, so Miles will need to be here."

"I already texted him, he said he's a bit busy and he'll be here in an hour so you might as well start without him."

"Okay. Well first, the album name. The song that you guys played earlier was called The Saltwater Room. Austin, Ryder, Miles and I wrote that song a while back. It was what brought us together, so I thought that would be a good name for the album. It was the start of us and now it will be the start of something new."

Ryder and Austin had expected that to be the name, they looked toward Riley and Kai, Riley answered first. " I think that it is a unique name and it means a lot to you and it will soon mean a lot to us, I love it."

"Yeah. I like it too. It sounds pretty cool." Kai said.

"Well Miles isn't here so I guess he forfeits he's opinion. So that's settled. Next, the songs." Skylar handed the blue folder to Riley. He looked through the folder at all the music, while he was looking at a particular song, Kai took the folder and began searching through it. "Is this the lyrics to the song?" Riley asked.

Skylar sat on the couch next to him. "Yeah that's The Saltwater Room."

When Riley and Kai finished looking at all the music, they handed it to Ryder and Austin. "So do you guys like the music?"

"Yeah, I like it." Kai answered.

"So do I." Riley agreed.

"Well, if you both want to work with me, we can add some songs of yours."

"That sounds fun."

Skylar spent the next hour or so showing them things she had planned. They messed around and laughed. After about three hours, there was finally a knock on the door. Skylar went and opened it, on the other side there was a girl who looked the same age as her with blonde hair. She was wearing white really short shorts and a black tank top and way too much makeup. She was chewing gum harshly. " Are you Skylar Justice?"

"Um, yes I am. How may I help you?"

"There is this stupid prick on the roof. He said your name a lot, I figured if anyone can rein him in it would be you."

"Oh. I believe I know who you are talking about. Thank you for coming to get me."

The girl waved Skylar off and left. Skylar told the boys she would be back and she took the stairs to the roof. When she got up there, it was lightly raining and there seemed to be no one up there until she heard shuffling. She turned around the corner and found Miles with this girl. They were clearly drunk and it was clear this girl was taking advantage of Miles. Skylar walked over to them and tore the girl off of Miles mid kiss.

"What the hell is your problem?" The girl's words slurred together.

"My problem is that you are taking advantage of my friend. So you can get out of here and go with your friend."

The girl wobbled down the stairs. Skylar turned toward Miles and pulled him up from the ground by the collar of his shirt and pulled him toward the door. "Hey, let go of me."

"No Miles I will not because apparently when I do, you go off and get drunk."

"I don't need you to baby sit me."

"Apparently you do need me."

"Well I did need you in more than one way."

"I am not going to talk about this Miles. I have said my peace on this matter and I refuse to go into more detail."

Miles grabbed Skylar's hand and spun her around. In a single motion, he brought her close and brought his hand to the back of her head and pulled her into a kiss. At first, Skylar was shocked. Then she tried to push away form Miles, but he had a firm grip on her. As she tried to push him away, he backed her up to the side of the building. He pulled away from her and nuzzled into her neck. "Miles. Stop. Get off of me now." Miles didn't listen to her and kissed her away, Skylar managed to push him off of her and he immediately slapped her. Hard.

Skylar held the side of her face in disbelieve. Miles immediately sobered because he realized what he did. " Skylar, I am so sorry."

"Stay away from me!" Skylar yelled at him more in fear then in rage. She took off to the door, down the stairs and into her apartment. Almost instantly, Ryder and Austin were at her side. In tears, she told them what happened. Ryder left to the roof immediately, Austin got ice for Skylar's eye which was beginning to swell. Riley and Kai stood to the side, lending a hand to Austin whenever they could. Austin finally thanked them for their help and said they would see them within the next few days. Skylar was still crying when they left and she was clinging to Austin. Austin didn't know what to do, he had never seen Skylar like this, she was always so strong. He couldn't believe Miles hit he, but if he was drunk, it wasn't hard to imagine. While Skylar sobbed into his shirt, the front door opened and Miles came rushing in with Ryder at his heels. " I told you no Miles." Ryder said grabbing his shirt.

Miles shoved Ryder off of him and went toward Austin and Skylar, Austin turned his body of that he was blocking Miles from Skylar. "Stay away from her Miles, I am being serious. Do not come near us." Austin was no longer his childish self, if Miles came any closer he wasn't afraid to lay the hurt on him.

"Skylar, I am so sorry. Please Skylar." Miles begged as Skylar continued to cry. She felt like she was being over dramatic about this, but to her it was as if all the hurt she ever experienced was bubbling out of her. All the times she kept her mouth shut when she was picked on as a child and said nothing, all the times she felt like she didn't matter to anyone, all the times Miles made promises he couldn't keep, all the times she had been let down or left behind, everything that ever happened, all the times she didn't show emotion and just moved on, it was all coming out. She didn't want to be near Miles, she wanted to be a million miles away from him. She just kept crying until Austin led her to her room and he sat on the bed with her and cradled her until she cried herself to sleep.

When she finally fell asleep, Austin pulled the sheets on her bed back and placed her underneath them. Her eye had a bright blue and black bruise that stuck out from her ivory skin. He made his way back to the living room where Ryder and Miles were still fighting.

"You have no right whatsoever to treat her like that! She is not one of those sluts you pick up on the streets!"

"What Skylar and I do doesn't involve you or Austin, so why don't you both stay out of this!"

"And let your drunk ass go back there and hurt her more then she already is? That's not going to happen. And when she comes in here in tears and with her eye swelling, it automatically involves me. And I don't know why I am wasting my time arguing with you when you are clearly still drunk!"

"I am not."

"You know what? If you are going to be this stubborn, I am not allowing you to come anywhere near Skylar for a while. If I so much as hear her talk about you stopping by, I will beat your ass. Skylar doesn't deserve to be treating like a dog, she was always too good for you. You were always too stupid and drunk to see what a great girl you had, you don't deserve her. You never did."

"You cannot keep me from seeing her. And who are you to say I didn't deserve her? You could never stay in a relationship for more than a month." Miles' words slurred together.

"I am not talking with you about my love life. I am taking you back to the hotel and you are staying there until you are sober and understand the wrong that you have done." Ryder turned to Austin. " Can you stay with Skylar for a while?"

"Yeah, that's no problem. I'll take care of her." Austin said from his spot in the kitchen.

"I'll call you later." Ryder said before dragging Miles out of the apartment.

Austin sighed and went to the couch, he fell on it completely exhausted. Somehow he knew that it was going to be a long night, if there was one thing Miles was known for it was always trying to come back. Ryder looked like he wanted to kill Miles and knowing Miles and his drunk self, he would try to come back. Austin went to the front door and locked it. Then he went to the fridge and got a bottle of water before he turned the news on the TV and sat down to watch.

All four turtles stood quietly in Skylar's room. They had heard everything that Ryder and Miles had said. And all of them wanted to pummel Miles, but no one was more angry then Leo. They had been on their to Skylar's apartment when they saw her yell at the girl and tell her to leave. It took every ounce of restraint in him to not knock Miles' teeth out when he kissed her without her consent. And Don had to grab him when Miles slapped Skylar. He felt rage coursing through his veins. He never remembered feeling this angry towards anyone. They all waited by the window until Austin left before they climbed into her room. They stay quite listening to Ryder yell at Miles. While everyone was listening, Leo sat at the edge of Skylar's bed and looked at her. Just at the sight of the black and blue bruise that had blossomed from her eye down her cheek made him want to kill Miles. He should never have treated her like that. Leo knew Ryder was right when he said Miles didn't deserve Skylar. Skylar was a sweet and gentle person who was kind and filled with undying happiness, but when Leo saw her in tears and saw how completely and utterly terrified she was of Miles he wanted to hold her and protect her.

"Leo, maybe we should come back another time." Don said quietly.

"Or maybe go find Miles." Raph snarled.

"No Raph, we can't." Leo said. " It would not be honorable of us."

"Like what he did was honorable? He needs to be taught a lesson!"

"And I feel like he will be taught a lesson, but its not our place to teach it to him. We should go before Austin comes back."

They all started to leave, just as he was about to climb out the window, Leo looked back at Skylar's sleeping figure. Looking to see if the guys would notice him, he went back the Skylar's side and gently kissed her on the lips before he went to the window and closed it.


	8. What About Now?

Skyward Spirits

Chapter 8: What About Now

"Change the colors of the sky. And open up to the ways you made me feel alive, the ways I loved you. For all the things that never died, to make it through the night, love will find you." –Chris Daughtry from his band Daughtry's song "What About Now".

* * *

It was still raining when Skylar woke up. She laid in her bed as she thought about the events that happened the night before. She thought she remembered the turtles being in her room and she thought she remembered Leo kissing her…..but that couldn't have happened..could it? She sat up in her bed and pulled her blanket around her before walking to her mirror. The bruise on her eye looked almost fake against her pale skin. She lightly touched it and winced. She turned to go out of her room and into the living room. She was surprised to see Austin at her stove making eggs and toast. " Austin?... What are you doing here?"

"Well I couldn't leave you here on your own and I think staying with you for a while will be good." Austin said putting some eggs and toast on a plate and setting it down on the kitchen island for Skylar to eat, she sat up on a bar stool and started eating. As Skylar finished eating, Austin looked at her eye and had a grim expression on her face. "I'm sorry Skylar."

She looked up at him. " Why are you sorry?"

"I just feel like someone needed to say it."

"Austin, you don't have to say sorry. You didn't do anything."

"I know….but still, Miles shouldn't have hit you."

Skylar looked back down at her plate. " Yeah, but just saying that can't change the fact that he did."

They sat in awkward silence for a few minutes before Austin spoke up. " So is there anything you were going to do today that I can help you with?"

"Well, I remember that Ryder said that you guys were looking for an apartment so I sort of got you guys one."

"You did? Where?"

"One floor below us."

"Really? Let's go see it!"

Skylar went to get the keys and to put her blanket back in her room. They took the stairs down one level and went to the apartment she had got for them. She opened the door and Austin raced inside. Skylar smiled as she walked in and closed the door behind her. Austin was standing in the middle of the living room. "Wow, this place is big!"

"Well if I remember the layout right, the kitchen is the your right and the den is to the left." Skylar turned to her right towards a hallway. "There are two bedroom and a bath room down this hall and there is a staircase in the den that leads up to another two room and bathroom and a big open area."

"I want a room upstairs!" Austin exclaimed as he raced to the den and up the stairs. Skylar ran after him. He looked at both bedroom, but it was clear he liked the one with the window and fire escape. "I like this room."

"Well, I was going to fix this place up for you guys but now that you know I guess it wont be a surprise."

"You were going to do it all by yourself?"

"Yeah, its not hard."

"No, you aren't doing this whole place by yourself, I'll help you. It will give you and I something to do." Austin smiled.

"You really want to help?"

"Yeah totally. I don't want you to do all this work just for us, you've already done so much." Austin walked up to her and hugged her. " And I can't thank you enough for that."

"You don't have to thank me, family takes care of one another. No matter what happens."

Austin felt her tense under his embrace. He knew she felt hurt and scared. "Why don't we work on the album today? I know you were looking at some outfits or something."

"I guess we can." Skylar said softly. Austin and Skylar made their way back to her apartment. She pulled out her computer and they started looking at suits for all of the guys. Austin had texted Riley and Kai and got their suit measurements.

"So why don't we take this to the street? We have the measurements for the guys and you know what you want, so why don't we go looking?"

"But…."

Austin know what she meant, she didn't want people to look at her because of her eye. Austin thought for a minute. " Where's your make up?"

"In my bathroom."

Austin got up and went to Skylar's room and dug around he bathroom until her found the light blue bag he recognized as Skylar's make-up bag. He went back to Skylar who was sitting on the couch in the living room and he opened it. "You are lucky I was into theatre when we were in high school." He took out a few things from the bag and started applying to Skylar's eye. After a few minutes he put the stuff back into the bag and pulled out a small mirror. Skylar gasped when she saw, it was almost as if there was no bruise. " Wow, I forgot how talented you were."

"So, why don't you go change and we'll go?"

"Okay." Skylar smiled before going to her room and pulling on a pair of running pants and a royal blue shirt , she grabbed her own leather jacket and went back out to the living room. Austin and Avery spent the day getting clothes for the album pictures. Avery made Austin try on the outfits that were his and Avery had fun taking pictures. Austin undid the teal colored tie he was wearing and sat next to her. " What are you going to do with those pictures?"

"I am going to make a website and put these on it."

"Well that sounds fun."

"Yeah, now go take that off, we have a few more stores to go to before we head back to the apartment."

Austin threw his arms around Avery and whined," But Avery, we've been to sooooo many stores already!"

"You and all the other guys wanted a solo song so this is the outcome, now come on, I'll go pay for this stuff."

Austin and Avery went to three more stores before going back to the apartment and making it inside just before the downpour of rain. Austin put all the bags on the couch," So do you remember who's wearing what?"

"Yes I do. And I guess I'll have to find something for myself sometime this week."

"I'll go with you," Austin started pulling jackets and jeans and other articles of clothes. " But first let's separate all of these clothes. "

Avery helped Austin pull clothes out of the bags, they sorted them. Avery hung the clothes on hangers and put them in the closet of one of the spare rooms. Austin said he was tired and went upstairs to go to sleep. Avery messed around her apartment until she heard the rain stop, she went to her room and pulled on a light weight jacket. She quietly left the apartment and headed to the roof. Once she made it to the roof she sat on the edge and looked over the city. While the slight drizzle of rain gave the city a gloomy look, the lights brought it to life.

"You shouldn't be there in the rain, you could fall."

Skylar turned and saw Leo. " Leo." She said smiling. "I'm sorry about the other night with Austin. I always seem to get myself in trouble…."

"I came by yesterday with the guys," Leo said changing the subject. "He shouldn't treat you like that, it's not right."

"He doesn't know any better Leo, and maybe I just deserve it sometimes."

Leo took her hand suddenly. " No. You don't deserve to be treated like that. He should have never done any of those things to you. Your friend Ryder was right, he didn't know what he had. You are an amazing person Skylar, don't let anyone tell you different."

Skylar felt herself blushed. She slowly took her hand from Leo's and pushed a strand of her hair behind her ear at the same time she accidently rubbed some of the makeup off of her face. "Who did that?"

"The makeup? Austin did. He's really talented." Skylar rubbed the rest of the makeup off and wiped it off on her jacket. "Ryder said it should go away in a week or so."

"It makes me sick that he treats you like that. No one should ever treat a girl like that."

"I'm all he has Leo." Skylar said. "We all had a hard time growing up, but Miles had the hardest time. I met him in the 8th grade and he was already bad off. When we dated, I thought that maybe if someone loved him, he would change for the better….but I guess someone people are just incapable of loving."

"He's the only person who've ever been in a relationship with?"

"Yeah…..Ryder asked me out when Miles and I had a falling out. Any girl would be lucky to have Ryder as a boyfriend, but I just didn't feel like it was right. I guess I'll just be with him, he at least acts better when I am with him." Skylar swung her legs back over and stood up to leave. "You don't have to be with anyone you don't want to be with. Miles doesn't deserve to have you, no one should hurt someone they love. And he has no right to touch you the way he does."

Leo took her hand. "Skylar, you are beautiful and strong, and you don't deserve to be treated like that. You have the right to love who you want to love and you shouldn't settle for someone who doesn't deserve you."

Skyalr felt heat rise to her face as she looked down at her shoes, this was the strangest way she had ever been asked out, but it was also the sweetest. She liked Leo, she knew that for sure, but how would it work between them? Jason always told her to take chances. "That's the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me."

A Few Days Later…

"Skylar! Wake Up!" Austin said shaking Skylar.

"No…." Mumbled Skylar turning over in her bed.

"We have to go to the photo shoot, come on."

"I don't wanna." Skylar rolled out of reach of Austin.

"Don't make me do this Skylar."

"Do what?"

Austin crawled on the bed and picked Skylar up and crawled off the bed with Skylar in his arms. " Now you can either get in the shower willingly or I can turn the cold water on and throw you in as is."

Skylar stared at him. "You wouldn't."

"I would do it in half a heart beat." As soon as Austin said that Skylar forced herself out of Austin's arms and ran down the hall. " I'll be in the shower!"

Austin sat down to watch some television while Skylar got ready to go. Finally she came out wearing jeans and a blue v-neck t-shirt. "Did you already put the clothes in the car?" Skylar asked brushing her hair.

"Yep, I did and guys will meet us there in an hour."

"Great, let me go finish my hair and then we'll go." Skylar started toward her bathroom, Austin walked after her. "Come here, let me see your eye."

Skylar stopped and turned towards Austin held her chin. " Wow, that's healing faster then I thought it would. Here, let's go put on a light layer and that should do it."

Skylar went and got her makeup bag before sitting on her bed and handing it to Austin. He started applying makeup to the bruise. "The girl you go out with will be very, very lucky. You'll be in a band, and as a bonus you know how to do makeup."

"Well, I guess we'll find out when it happens." Austin said before finishing up and zipping her makeup bag up and handing it to her. Skylar went back to her bathroom to finish curling her hair. "And your brother called, he said he was coming too, he should be here in an hour."

"Really?" Skylar said unplugging her curler and rolling the cord up. " That's great. I really want to see him."

"So, are you ready?"

"Yeah, lets go."

Austin and Skylar drove down to the studio and unloaded all the clothes. Skylar spent the last few days washing and ironing all of the clothes. They walked in and two interns took the clothes and hung them on a rack. The photographer came out and introduced herself. She showed them the room where they were going to take the pictures for the actual album. It was a small cozy little room with a light up bar sign that said "The Saltwater Room".

"This looks great Sara." Skylar said sitting on a big comfy leather red sofa chair. "How did you get all of this stuff?"

"I got a call from your brother and then a truck of filled this came and he helped set it up." Sara said. "He went to his hotel room with some other guys. He said he would be back soon."

"Yeah, he called us to tell us as well." Austin said giving Skylar a nudge before she fell asleep.

"So when will the rest of your party getting here?"

Austin looked at his watch. "Here in the next few minutes."

"Why don't you two go get changed? I'll show them which outfits to put on." Sara handed them to outfits on hangers and pointed them towards the dressing rooms.

Skylar closed the door to the small dressing room and started pulling her jeans and her t-shirt off. She pulled her dress out off its hanger. She slipped on the light blue strapless cocktail dress. She pulled her hair over her shoulder and walked out.

She folded her street clothes and pulled some silver heels from the bottom of the rack and slipped them on. Austin came walking out of the dressing room looking down at his teal tie," Hey Skylar, can you help me tie-" He stopped when he looked up at Skylar. His breath hitched in his throat. Skylar's blue dress hugged her body and brought out her curves. "U-Um can you help me tie my tie?..." Austin trailed off.

"Sure." Skylar said standing up and starting fixing his tie. "Well don't you nice." Skylar said straightening his jacket. She took a step back and looked at him. He was wearing black slacks and black dress shoes, it was complemented by a teal shirt and a thick black tie. "You know what, I think this would look better without the tie." Skylar said removing the tie and unbuttoning the first button of his shirt. "There, perfect."

"Skylar, you look amazing." Austin said. As the two of them walked to the front of the room. Skylar blushed. "Thanks Austin, you look good too."

Sara walked in and saw the two of them. "Well don't you two look amazing!" She exclaimed. "Why don't we take some photos now?"

"Now? Shouldn't we wait until the others get here?" Skylar asked.

"Well, I understand that this is going to be your first photo shoot, so I want to make sure you get a lot of pictures. So," She grabbed Austin by the arm and led him to the red sofa chair and sat him down in it. " You sir, sit here and Skylar come here. I want you to sit next to him." Austin scooted over so Skylar could sit next to him in the large chair. Austin automatically put his arm around her shoulder and hugged her, Sara got a quick shot of it. Sara took more pictures of them and then told them to stand up. Sara explained the next picture to them and Austin scooped Skylar up bridal style, after they took more pictures, the front door chimed and the rest of the guys walked in. As soon as Miles saw Austin holding Skylar, he gave Austin and death glare and Austin quickly put Skylar down.

Sara handed them their clothes and ushered them to the dressing rooms. Ryder was the first one to come out. He was wearing black slacks and a silky light blue almost white button up shirt and his signature black leather jacket. "Blue just isn't my color."

"You can barley tell it's blue, its so light." Skylar said as he joined them.

"I can tell."

"Oh, stop your whining."

Riley came out wearing a royal blue shirt with a thin dress jacket. "This jacket is really soft." He said feeling the inside of the jacket.

Miles came out next wearing grey slacks and a mint green shirt and a light grey tie. Kai came out and wearing dark grey slacks and a teal/blue shirt. All of them were finally here and Sara started fawning on how they looked together. She seated them in a few places and started taking pictures and then she took individual shots of all of them. Finally the front door chimed again and in strolled in a guy wearing dark jeans, a black t-shirt and a long sleeved black and dark grey striped over shirt. He had spiky brown hair and the same enchanting eyes as Skylar. Skylar's eyes light up as she ran into the other stretched arms of the guy. "Jason!"

Jason had changed in the two months they had been apart. He cut his hair short, usually short for him. And his hair was still wet from the obvious shower he took and he oddly smelled like peppermint and rosemary, he wore fresh clothes that smelt of lavender. And for the first time in a while he didn't have the scent of alcohol or cigarette smoke on his breath. Skylar pulled back and looked at her brother and stared at him. "So, what exactly happened to you?"

Jason smiled. " I met this girl Skylar, she is so amazing! Her name is Zen, I'll tell you about her later but first I brought a friend with me." Jason turned so she could see the person standing behind him. Skylar felt tears in her eyes as soon as she saw the uniform, she launched herself at the person and they picked her up bridal style and held her as if they were never going to let go. " I missed you so much." Skylar muttered through her tears.

"I miss you too Sky." The uniformed man put her back on her feet and she looked up at her oldest brother, dressed in his Marine uniform. She stared at Tyler with tears in her eyes, he was here and he was safe. She hugged him tightly again and memories of her childhood flashed behind her closed eyes. Tyler Kobe Justice was always a man a few words, always strong and always independent. He was one of those people who could make a friend just by saying a few words, he always knew what he wanted to do, what he wanted to be. Images of Tyler and Jason hanging out together flowed through her mind, Skylar's first formal dance where Tyler threatened the life of her date if he treated her wrong. And most of all, the goodbye she had to say to him almost two years ago. She felt tears running down her face, Tyler pulled her from the hug.

"Come on Sky, don't cry. I'm back." He said with tears in his own eyes. " Look at you, you're all grown up."

Skylar sniffled. "Yeah, I guess I am." She wiped her eyes. "What are you doing here?"

"Well, I got a phone call from my little brother telling me that our little sister was about to make it big time, my tour was over so I came straight here."

Skylar turned to Jason. "You called him?"

"Hey, I missed him too, don't forget he's my brother too."

Tyler held one of his arms out to invite Jason into the hug, Jason quickly walked over into the embrace. Skylar had never felt more happy in her life. Her two most treasured friends, her two most treasured brothers were both here with her, supporting her. She couldn't think of anything that would top that, she had her family back. She had Tyler and Jason back again, she felt like crying even harder. They had all made it so far from where they started and they had been apart for so long and yet here the three of them were, all together.

"Let me get a picture of the three of you." Sara said.

The three of them collected their emotions and turned to face the camera. Skylar was standing in-between her two older brother, her arms around them and their arms around her. She noticed that most of the guys had gotten their phones out and were taking pictures and Ryder announced he got a video. Skylar felt so happy.

After the photo shoot was done, it was decided that Tyler would be moving in with Austin and Skylar. They planned to redo a room for Tyler and work on the apartment for the three guys so Austin could actually have a bed to sleep on instead of the couch. Skylar drove home with Austin and when they got to the apartment, they helped Tyler unload some stuff he had in his car. Jason asked Skylar if he could stay the night and Austin, seeing that family time was needed for them, called one of his friends and planned a date. He left and Skylar, Tyler, and Jason sat down and ordered pizza and watched a movie upstairs until they all fell asleep resting on one another.

Don was sitting at his computer when a ding came from it. He had taken the time to follow the website of Skylar's band and apparently something had been posted. When Don saw it was a video, he clicked the play button. He watched Skylar embrace a guy in a striped shirt, it took him a while to realize that it was actually Jason. He saw Jason say something to Skylar then move out of the way to revel a man clad in a Marine uniform behind him. Skylar ran straight for him and he scooped her up and held her tightly. "That's sweet." He muttered to himself, or so he thought.

"What's sweet?"

Don turned in his chair to see Leo coming into his room. " Ryder posted a video on the band's website and its Skylar being reunited with someone she knows who was away with the Marine. I think it may be her brother."

"Jason?"

"No, she has another brother I think."

"Another brother?"

"Well that what April said it said on her Facebook page, but then again I've never seen what he looks like."

Leo look at the picture of Skylar with Jason and the Marine. Don recognized the expression on Leo's face. "Leo, don't read too much into it. I'm sure it's her brother, she'll probably tell you more about him when she gets the chance." Leo nodded. Don turned off the monitor and headed up to his room. Leo watched him leave before turning the screen back on and scrolling through the band website. He looked through all the pictures and then he came to the information about all the members. He started with Skylar. It said she was the daughter of Lyra Harmony and Alexander Justice. She was the youngest of three children with two older brothers, Jason Lee Justice and Tyler Kobe Justice. She was born in New Orleans, Louisiana and she grew up in small town in Oklahoma. He read about her and the others in her band. He sat back in the chair and shut the computer down, maybe he was getting jealous over nothing. He got up from the chair and went up to his room.

The Next Day…..

Skylar woke up in her bed curled up in her blankets, she sat up and rubbed her eyes wondering how she got in her bed. She got up and pulled her light grey hoodie on and went to the kitchen. Tyler was sitting at the island in the kitchen reading a book. Skylar was first shocked that Tyler was in front of her then she remembered he was back. She smiled to her self and sat down next to him. "What are you reading?" Tyler looked up from his book. "Sailing The Wine Dark Sea. I found it in your office." Skylar recalled the book she had to read for high school. "So I was thinking that we could turn the office into your bedroom." "Sure it's cozy, I like it." Skylar smiled. "So where's Jason?" "Oh, sleeping beauty is still upstairs on the couch."

"Is he really? I thought he would have left by now." Tyler shook his head. "Nope, he seems like he's sticking this one out. So what did you do to him? I've been gone two years and I barely recognized him when he picked me up at the airport."

"I didn't do anything. He said he met this girl named Zen, that's all I know." Tyler got up to get more coffee. "Zen? That's an interesting name. Maybe he's finally found the one." Skylar smiled. "I hope so." Skylar got her laptop from the coffee table and sat down at the bar again. She checked her email when she heard shuffling. Tyler and Skylar turned to see Jason making his way down the stairs. "Morning everyone." He said smiling. He walked over to the cupboard and got a coffee mug and poured some coffee. "Well someone seems happy this morning." Tyler said. "Well why wouldn't I be? Oh and Skylar, there's this party that I was invited to tomorrow night and I think it would benefit you to meet some people that will be there. Would you like to come?" Skylar looked up from her computer screen. "You want me to come?" "Of course, I think you'll meet some people that could help you with your career." "It sounds like fun!"

Tyler leaned up against the counter. "Jason, you better not let her get into any trouble." Jason laughed. "I think she'll be the one keeping me out of trouble." Skylar closed her laptop and went to her room and changed into a pair of shorts and a plain red v-neck t-shirt. She went to her office and started sorting through papers. She organized all of her music sheets and packed everything away and moved it to her room. She placed the music in boxes and put them at the top of her closet. She looked around her cluttered room and began to pick things up and put them away. After a while her room looked somewhat clean. She changed the sheets and blankets on her bed and threw them on the floor with the clothes she was going wash. She spent the rest of the morning into the early afternoon cleaning the apartment. Tyler had left to met up with a friend how was driving some of his things down from the base he had been staying at before he got on a flight. Jason was actually out getting paint so they could repaint the study for Tyler. Skylar finished picking up her room when she found an old photo album, she picked it up and opened it. The first pictures she saw were of her, Tyler, and Jason playing on the beach. It was the last vacation they took as a family before things fell apart in their family. Her flipped through the pages until she came to her favorite picture. It was her, Tyler, and Jason. They were all facing the camera and the ocean and setting sun were behind them giving the picture a very interesting glow. She pulled the picture from the photo album and laid it on her dresser, she had an idea for the picture.

She heard the front door open and close and Jason walked into her room. He had cans of paint and a clothing bag over his shoulder. "Here's that paint you wanted." He said setting it down at the door. "What it that?" Skylar asked looking at the bag. Jason laid it on her bed," It's your dress for tomorrow night." Skylar gave him a look and opened the bag. Inside was a silver cocktail dress. "Wow, this dress looks amazing Jason, Thank you!" Skylar said hugging her brother. "Well I thought that my little sister should have an amazing outfit to go her amazing night where she will announce her new album." Skylar felt her stomach drop. "You mean I have to get up in front of people and tell them about the new album that comes out in a month?" Jason smiled. "Yeah." Skylar sat down on the bed," I dont know if I can to that Jason." Skylar had always been terrified of public speaking and now she will probably have to do it in front of hundreds of people. "Ah, kid you'll be alright," Jason sat beside her. "I'll be there and one of your band members can come. You'll be fine." Skylar nodded. "If you say so." Jason stood up. "By the way someone named Kai called and texted you about a song I think, I didn't want to intrude too much." Skylar got up to go get her phone. "it's okay, I'll go see what he wants." She went to the kitchen to get her phone and looked through her text messages. Kai wanted to add a song he wrote called "Anna Sun" to the album. She texted him to bring the lyrics over tomorrow and she would go over with him. She went to her laptop and uploaded the pictures from the shoot to her website, after that she closed her laptop and went to go paint….

* * *

** Author's Mini Rant/Question **

**Sorry if it's not very action pack or anything special, I've had a lot on my mind recently. Actually I could use some advice from you guys. The day this chapter was published August 25 ( really it's the 26****th**** but its like 1 in the morning so I don't count it really as the 26****th****) is my boyfriend's birthday. He's 16 now and I wanted to do something special form him. I planned this really cool day and two days ago he said he was sure he would love it but yesterday he said he couldn't go. He didn't tell me why so all day I've been wondering if I did something wrong, so all day I waited for him to answer my texts and when he did we talked a little and the conversation turned a bit to me asking if I did something. Well anyway fast forward a bit the conversation ended with him saying that I didn't mess anything up but I was sure acting like I was too. Man that hurt. Don't get me wrong he is one of the sweetest guys ever. He's a gamer and just all around sweet, that's why him saying that hurt. So I'm confused as how I go about this. This is my first REAL relationship and I seriously need some help. What do you guys think? Of course you don't have to answer, I just needed to vent a little bit. **


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